My mom bought this book for my boyfriend for Christmas. Not entirely sure why she didn't just buy it for me. He has yet to have a chance to read the dust jacket. I picked this book up shortly after Christmas and read it like a textbook the entire way through.
There is some amazing information about the progression of food in the United States. It finally clicked that my grandparents were cooking Julia Child and James Beard and my parents had James Beard and Emeril while I have Bobby Flay, Anthony Bourdain, Alice Waters and a host of other food writers and chefs to idolize.
The best part of the book for me was reading about the stamp that the San Francisco Bay area has put on the current food trends. I took notes through those sections and plan on going to visit some of the difference makers when I go to Berkeley for dinner tonight.
I always new food was an integral part of my life but the magnitude didn't really sink in until I read this book. If you grew up loving food and still find yourself intrigued this book is for you. Travel through James Beard, Julia Child, numerous New York Times Restaurant critics, Dean and Deluca and all the current celebrity chefs you now follow.
I finished reading this book 2 weeks ago and have not stopped thinking about it since. I am going to have to look over the highlighted parts again to see what to read next.
